Carthusia: Profumi di Capri

On the island of Capri it is impossible to miss the the elaborate tiled signs or fragrance coming from the Carthusa Profumi di Capri houses, a niche perfume company on the Italian island.

In 1380, according to legend, a monk picked a bouquet of the island’s most beautiful flowers to present to visiting Queen Joan of Anjou. The bouquet sat in water for three days and as he threw them away, the monk noticed that the water had a pleasant fragrance.

He found a friar well versed in alchemy and they recreated the scent, making the first perfume of Capri.

thenand now

Fast forward to 1948 when another monk discovered the ancient perfume formulas and with the Pope’s permission, shared them with a chemist in Torino who started to produce new essences, founding the modern perfume company.

There are several stores on the island, each more beautiful than the last.

One store has a wall of fame with familar faces who enjoyed Capri and allegedly took home some perfume.

Like Grace and Jackie, we decided that perfume would make a perfect souvenir. My mom and I picked the house’s signature, Mediterraneano, with notes of lemon leaves and tones of green tea while Cam picked Via Camerelle, named after the island’s most famous street. Camerelle combines lemon, bitter orange and hints of sea moss and cedar wood.

You can order your own here, engraved with your initials or just make the trip to Capri!